How Should We Fight Illiteracy?

Literacy is an important issue in South Carolina, as well as in Lancaster County. The recently released Kids Count Report shows that South Carolina is in the bottom ten nationally when it comes to the status, or well-being, of our children. The report looks at the social, economic, educational, and physical situation of children in each state to determine its facts and statistics, which includes the ranking of the states (go to www.aecf.org for more information). In the South Carolina Kids Count Report, there were some surprising statistics regarding our current situation. From 1992 to 2007, 4th graders in South Carolina who scored basic or better on standardized tests in reading only increased from 53% to 59%, and those in 8th grade from 66% to 69% (the numbers in math were 48% to 80% in 4th grade and 48% to 71% in 8th grade).

The South Carolina Kids Count made other startling discoveries about the conditions in South Carolina as well:

"The data on families, economic status, health, readiness, school achievement, and adolescent risk behaviors provide a troublesome picture of the condition of children in South Carolina. The 31.3% of children in single-parent families, 18.8% in poverty, 34.4% not graduating from school, 37.1% of high school students using alcohol and 20.1% using drugs each month, and other data profiled in this report suggest that too many children are at risk of not growing up to become self-supporting adults, good family members, and responsible community citizens." (www.sckidscount.org)

As stated above, many factors affect the education of a child. Economic status, home environment, personal health, stability of the family, and various other elements can play a role in a child's school success. Without strong support, structure, and stability at home, it can be difficult for a child to perform well. In 2000, 16.9% of families in Lancaster and 18.8% of families in South Carolina had children ages 0 to 18 and were below the poverty level. In 2009, 83% of children from low-income families did not score "proficient" on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading test, and 49% of low-income students performed "below basic" on the test.

It's also likely that many of the children who struggle in school are not the first in their families to have such difficulties. There seems to be a cycle to illiteracy: children who suffer in school are often just one of several generations in their families who have faced these issues. 20.8% of children in South Carolina are consistently not ready for 1st grade, and the percentage in Lancaster is only slightly better, with 18.8% of students testing not ready. Additionally, 25.8% of all babies born in Lancaster county in 2007 were born to mothers who had not completed the 12th grade.

So what can we do? How can we help children succeed if their parents are unable to provide them with the skills necessary to succeed? We must break the cycle of illiteracy. We have to attack the problem at both ends, meaning helping the children and the parents, if we are going to break the cycle. We must make changes both in the lives of the children and the adults in our community who are illiterate if we want to be successful in making the Lancaster area a literate community.

What do you think? Do these statistics surprise you? What changes can be made in this area to help break the cycle? How are we going to attack this problem and make a difference? Please share your thoughts and ideas with us, on this blog and otherwise, and help us find ways to address this need in our community.